The Lipscomb Bisons baseball team exploded for 30 runs and 34 hits in a split of a doubleheader at North Florida.

The Bisons lost the first game with North Florida 13-12. Two errors set the stage for a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. In game two Saturday at Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium the Bisons scored nine runs in the seventh inning on the way to an 18-8 win. The Bisons lost game one of the series 5-4 Friday night.

“The ball never left the infield with the first three batters in the ninth with two errors and an infield single,” Lipscomb coach Jeff Forehand said. “We scored five runs in the eighth and three runs in the ninth to tie it up, but we shot ourselves in the foot.

“We just haven’t been able to figure out how to win the close ones. At least we got away with one. We have to keep building on each win.”

In the first game the Bisons pounded 15 hits with Tyler Wilson, Zach Messer and Andrew Nickerson each hitting doubles. Matt Brewer recorded his first triple of the season.

Messer hit a two-run shot over the center field wall in the third inning. M.L. Williams blasted a solo shot to left center in the fifth. Williams and Messer each led the Bisons with three runs batted in. Nickerson was the top hitter with four followed by Williams with three.

Junior right-hander Mike Grace made his second start of the season in game one. He last three innings and gave up five hits and five runs, three earned. He walked four and struck out three.

Junior right-hander Chad Fromm, who threw one-third of an inning in relief, took the loss, dropping to 1-6 for the season.
In the nightcap, Tyler Wilson and Messer each had a double again.

Brett Teschner hit a solo homer to left to lead off the fifth inning, one of four by the Bisons in the game. In the seventh Tyler Wilson hit a grand slam to left field and Kyle Henry hit a two-run round-tripper over the right center field fence to spark a nine-run inning. In the eighth Shawn Mehring hit his first home run of the season over the right field fence to drive in three runs.

Williams had four hits to lead the Bisons, giving him seven for the day. Mehring drove in six runs in game two, one short of the season high of seven set by Cory Hale against Vanderbilt April 20. Mehring combined for eight RBI for the day. Tyler Wilson drove in five runs giving him seven for the day.

“We had some guys step up,” Forehand said. “Rickey Coleman played and got three hits. Shawn played both games and stepped up. Teschner hit a home run. Brewer got some hits.

"We are doing some good things on offense. We have to keep it rolling to give ourselves a chance.”

Messer leads the Bisons with multiple-RBI in 14 games is second in multi-hit games with 19. Tyler Wilson leads the team with 20 multi-hit games.

Tyler Wilson also stole a base in each game. He has 34 for the season, five short of the program record of 39 set by Ted Jamison in 1971.

Sophomore right-hander Davey Hackett started the game. In 5.2 innings he allowed six hits and four runs, three earned. He walked six and struck out two.

Josh Cotham, also a sophomore right-hander, pitched the final 3.1 innings. He also gave up six hits and four runs. He walked two and struck out two on the way to his first win in three decisions.

Forehand is still hopeful the Bisons are going to earn a berth in the A-Sun Tournament which is scheduled for Lipscomb’s Ken Dugan Field at Stephen L. Marsh Stadium May 25-29.

“Our backs are against the wall,” Forehand said. “We have gotten a little bit of help in the league.

“We may be swimming upstream. If we can win our last six A-Sun games we might be able to do something.”

Forehand thinks his Bisons can rise to the occasion in the final couple of weeks of the regular season.

“We have taken a game seven mentality with every game,” Forehand said. “We have to go in there and do everything we can to win a game.”

The Bisons are 16-31, 7-13 in the A-Sun. North Florida is 26-21, 12-8 in the conference.

Written by Mark McGee, Senior Publisher/Director of Media Relations.

Wednesday the Bisons are on the road at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.